Transcript Overall Progress on Climate Change

OVERALL PROGRESS ON CLIMATE
CHANGE: MITIGATION AND
ADAPTATION
OCTOBER 2012
FOR PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEETING
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Outline
1.
BACKGROUND
2.
PRIORITIES AND POLICY DIRECTIVES FOR PLANNING
ADAPTATION RESPONSE
3.
CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMMES
4.
PROGRESS: CLIMATE RELATED PROJECTS
5.
DAFF NEGOTIATION THEMES AND POSITION
6.
CONCLUSION
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Background
•
Scientific observations indicate that the sector in particular the South African agricultural
landscape is facing considerable impacts from climate change; this situation has far reaching
implications on livelihoods, trade, job creation and food security.
•
This situation is further compounded by the fact that at household level South Africa remains
highly vulnerable to food security
•
The sector is one of the more sensitive sectors of the South African economy likely to feel any
impacts of climate change – both positive and negative - from both food security and
livelihoods perspectives.
•
Agriculture – source of Green House Gas [GHG] emissions: 4.6% of total net emissions (GHG
inventory 2000) mainly from enteric fermentation and manure management; cropland
accounting: 3.7% of total net emissions
•
Natural forests and woodland ecosystems provide vital ecosystem services and forest goods
for the benefit of society as a whole and in particular to neighbouring communities. In the 2000
GHG Inventory forest lands removed about 13 Million tonnes of CO2 , which makes it the
single largest sink of greenhouse gasses in the country.
•
Both commercial and small-scale recreational fisheries contribute minimally to the South
Africa’s GDP (1.8%), however, aquatic living resources have high nutritional value and
harvesting thereof contributes to the livelihood of coastal communities.
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Priorities and policy directives for planning
adaptation response
Adaptation:
•
•
Adaptation is essential: we cannot prevent climate change altogether, so we must
adapt. That means integrating risk reduction strategies into humanitarian and
development strategies.
Currently developing a Climate Change adaptation strategy for the sector, and
become practical in enhancing adaptive capacity to climate change
– Access to means of implementation [finance, technology]
– Work Programme to deal with ecosystems, sustainable agriculture and
livelihoods
– Adaptive research, adaptation programmes, early warning systems and
infrastructure,
– Enhanced risk management
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Priorities and policy directives for planning
adaptation response
Mitigation:
Agriculture a contributor of greenhouse gas emissions:
•
Require support to reduce emissions associated with new or continued development.
•
As climate change increases weather and climate related natural hazards,
conventional disaster management and risk reduction strategies need to implement
climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and vice versa in order to
approach truly integrative disaster risk reduction.
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Climate Change programmes
•
Awareness programme: on-going activity, raise awareness through DAFF structures
such as National Agro-meteorological Committee (NAC), Mentorship Action
Programmes (MAP), Farmer Days, Land Care programmes etc
•
Policy development – already developed Climate Change Sector Plan (CCSP) (to serve
as Baseline) & permission granted by DAFF to gazette the plan.
•
DAFF currently developing the sector Mitigation and Adaptation Plan (Strategic
deliverable 2012/13).
•
DAFF conducted a preliminary investigation on Vulnerability Assessment(VA) to
Climate Change in the South Western parts of Free State Province – national VA is
being planned
•
Identify and co-ordinate Climate Change related research projects – assist DAFF i.t.o
vulnerability assessments, inform policy development, adaptation & mitigation
measures/strategies – make available to producers.
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Project title
Funder/potential
funder
Status
Objectives/ success factors
Mitigation and
Adaptation Plan
DAFF
Service provider appointed and
service level agreement signed.
Meeting held with the service
provider to discuss the inception
of developing the plan
To develop mitigation and
adaptation in the sector
Climate smart
agriculture (CSA)
awareness and
capacity building
workshop
DAFF
Planned (April 2013 – March
2014)
To share knowledge and
implemented projects on Climate
Smart Agriculture; develop CSA
strategy
Sensitivity of crop
suitability in SA to
Climate Change
DAFF
Service provider (SP) appointed
and service level agreement
signed. Meeting organized with
SP for update
Analyse an ensemble of present
day and future climate simulations
with the aim to determine the crop
suitability of selected crops for the
SA region
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Progress: Climate related projects
Mitigation and adaptation
to climate variability and
change in the Thabo
Mofutsanyane district
(Free State Province,
South Africa): Multidisciplinary approach
through an integrated
crop-livestock system
DAFF
Service provider
(SP) appointed and
service level
agreement signed.
Meeting organized
with SP for update
The production of bioenergy as a
substitute for high GHG emitting sources
of energy (capacity building, awareness,
Sustainable development benefits; cobenefits of improved quality of life; poverty
alleviation & job creation.
Atlas of climate change
and
the South African
Agricultural
Sector: A 2010
perspective
DAFF
Completed and
distributed to
relevant
stakeholders
To investigate the first to fourth order
impacts of climate change on agriculture.
Agricultural GHG
inventory for SA
British High
Commission
Completed and
distributed to
relevant
stakeholders
To address the issue of agricultural GHG
emissions data unavailability by building
the relevant inventory, determining the
level of GHG emissions from the
agriculture sector as well as building
capacity within the DAFF
GHG inventory database
British High
Commission
being implemented
To improve the emissions methodology
and data from the sector.
Climate Change Sector
Plan
DAFF
Submission
submitted to request
Minister to gazette
to respond to the NCCRS and ensure
8a
sustainable, profitable agricultural sector
Project title
National REDDplus strategy
Funder/potential
funder
Status
DAFF/other
possible REDDPlus funding
mechanisms
Currently at the pre-readiness
phase parallel to outcomes of
UNFCCC/ UNCBD REDD-Plus
negotiations
Identifying the various linkages
Capacity building for REDD-Plus
Assessing feasibility of REDDPlus for South Africa
In-depth literature review and
establishing networks at an
international level
Drafting of concept document
Objectives/ success factors
Progress: Climate related projects
To reduce emissions from
deforestation and forest
degradation; and the role of
conservation, sustainable
management of forests and
enhancement of forest carbon
stocks in developing countries
April 2013 – March 2014
Development of national strategy
and/or action plan
2014/2015
Establishing forest reference
emission levels and/or forest
reference levels and distributed
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DAFF NEGOTIATION THEMES & POSITION
ITEM
STATUS
SA POSITION/ DAFF
LINKAGES
Agriculture
SBSTA agrees to continue South Africa recognises the Sectoral
consideration of this agenda importance of adaptation and discussed
item at its 37th session.
approaches
under
Ad
Hoc
its relative priority compared Working Group on Long-term
to mitigation, the need to Cooperative Action under the
achieve food security and the Convention (AWG-LCA)
importance
of
technology
transfer. However, this would
best be addressed taking into
account
the
agricultural
diversity
systems,
of
the
differences in scale and in
accordance
with
the
principles of the Convention
and actions undertaken under
the Convention should not
jeopardize food security.
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ITEM
Land-use,
STATUS
SA POSITION/DAFF
LINKAGES
Land In its conclusions, SBSTA initiates its SA will continue to It appears that there could be a number
Use Change and consideration of the issues related to support the position of of approaches and concepts within
Forestry
LULUCF as referred to in Decision 2/CMP.7 Africans
in
the REDD+, and the linkage between these
(LULUCF):
(LULUCF), paragraphs 5, 6, 7 and 10 for treatment
of
forest and LULUCF accounting rules will need
LULUCF under the reporting on progress to COP/MOP 8. The management (that is, to be explored in depth in future
CDM
SBSTA also invites parties and observers to combining the net-net meetings.
submit their views for compilation by accounting
SBSTA 37 on:
with
the
reference
levels);
Issues related to modalities and procedures stressing
the
for alternative approaches to addressing importance
of
the risk of non-permanence under the accounting
CDM,
in
accordance
with
Decision that
2/CMP.7, paragraph 7;
an
system
ensures
environmental integrity
Modalities and procedures for possible (i.e.
transparency,
additional LULUCF activities under the accuracy,
CDM in accordance with Decision 2/CMP.7, comparability,
paragraph 6; and Issues related to a more consistency,
comprehensive
accounting
and
of completeness).
anthropogenic emissions by sources and
removals by sinks from LULUCF, including
through a more inclusive activity-based
approach or a land-based approach, as
referred to in Decision 2/CMP.7, paragraph
5.
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ITEM
STATUS
SA POSITION
Reducing Emissions
On the way forward, it was decided that the South Africa is of It appears that there could be a
from Deforestation and
secretariat will prepare a technical paper, as the
Forest degradation in
well as efforts to organise the REDD+ REDD+
Developing countries
workshop before Doha, despite financing important
(REDD+)
difficulties.
view
LINKAGES
that number of approaches and concepts
is
an within REDD+, and the linkage
between
component
these
and
LULUCF
of accounting rules will need to be
NAMAs.
explored in depth in future meetings.
Consistent with our
general
approach There is a linkage between REDD-
to NAMAs, South Plus under the UNFCCC and the
Africa
is
of
view
that
the REDD-Plus
Environmental
the Social safeguards discussed under
specific category of the UNCBD.
NAMAs
being
discussed
under
REDD+ should be
publicly funded.
Forests in Exhaustion
(FIE)
In its conclusions the SBSTA takes note of FiE should not be
the
summary
report
in
FCCC/SBSTA/2012/MISC.10
LULUCF / CDM
document considered under
and
has SBSTA
agreed to continue consideration of this It should either be
agenda item at SBSTA 38.
and
shifted from the
SBSTA to LULUCF
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Conclusion
•
South Africa has insufficient capacity to translate information into knowledge, for farmers to
respond to climate change challenges and at local government level.
•
Uncertainties about the extent of climate change impacts make it even more difficult to
quantify the levels of vulnerability of different communities.
•
Broadened Knowledge Systems need to be integrated with other sciences to maximize
benefits from both systems.
•
There is a need to translate what is already known regarding climate change (impacts,
vulnerabilities, etc) into knowledge that informs policy making
•
Awareness of climate change issues by ordinary people could be improved – extension
services
•
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management - Climate change mitigation and adaptation
have to be harmonized with integrative disaster risk reduction.
•
Broadened Knowledge Systems need to be integrated with other sciences to maximize
benefits from both systems.
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thank you,
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